Niklas Svedberg, Goaltender (Providence Bruins): In his first season of pro hockey in North America, Niklas Svedberg has backstopped the Providence Bruins to the best record in the AHL entering the final week and a half of the regular season. He has earned the third-most victories ever by an AHL rookie goaltender (34-8-0) and he ranks sixth in the league in goals-against average (2.18) and fifth in save percentage (.924) in 45 appearances. Svedberg, 23, signed with the Boston Bruins last May after leading Brynas IF to the Elitserien championship in his native Sweden.

Justin Schultz, Defense (Oklahoma City Barons): Over the first half of his first professional season, Justin Schultz established a record-setting pace by recording 18 goals and 48 points for Oklahoma City in just 34 games and earning honors as the CCM/AHL Player of the Month for October and Rookie of the Month for November. Now, more than three months since he played his last game for the Barons on Jan. 5, the 22-year-old Schultz still leads all AHL defensemen in goals and points and is tied for third among all AHL rookies in scoring. The former second-round draft pick (2008) was recalled by Edmonton in January and has tallied 20 points in 39 games for the Oilers this season.

Sami Vatanen, Defense (Norfolk Admirals): A fourth-round draft choice by Anaheim in 2009, Sami Vatanen is tied for the league lead among defensemen with 36 assists and ranks second among all AHL blueliners with 44 points while skating in 59 games for Norfolk this season. He made his NHL debut with the Ducks on Feb. 1, and later had a seven-game scoring streak for the Admirals from Feb. 23 to Mar. 9. Vatanen, 21, was the SM-liiga’s defenseman of the year in 2010-11 and again in 2011-12, and won the league championship with JYP in his hometown of Jyvaskyla, Finland, last season.

Ryan Spooner, Forward (Providence Bruins): Leading all AHL rookies with 37 assists and 51 points, Ryan Spooner is also at the top of the scoring page for the league-leading Providence Bruins. A second-round draft choice by Boston in 2010, Spooner has registered 13 multiple-point games this season, including four in a row between Mar. 16 and Apr. 5. The 21-year-old native of Kanata, Ont., has also appeared in four NHL games with Boston, making his NHL debut on Feb. 6.

Tyler Toffoli, Forward (Manchester Monarchs): Manchester forward Tyler Toffoli has scored 28 goals – most among AHL rookies this season – and added 20 assists for 48 points in 55 games with Manchester this season. The 20-year-old from Scarborough, Ont., also leads league rookies with three shorthanded goals, and is tops among rookie forwards with a plus-20 rating. The Monarchs’ sole representative at the 2013 Dunkin’ Donuts AHL All-Star Classic, Toffoli was a second-round pick by Los Angeles in the 2010 NHL Draft and has tallied five points in eight NHL games with the Kings this season.

Jason Zucker, Forward (Houston Aeros): Houston’s Jason Zucker has notched 24 goals and 24 assists for 48 points in 53 games with the Aeros this season, good for a share of the team scoring lead. The 21-year-old native of Newport Beach, Calif., is tied for the AHL lead with eight game-winning goals and three overtime winners, and has scored 12 of his 24 goals on the power play. A second-round draft pick by Minnesota in 2010, Zucker also has four goals and an assist in 14 games with the Wild this season.